Day 17 Messina – Catania 103 km

For half the day I drove around him. Actually I should have seen him the whole day. But the 3200 meter high volcano Etna did not show itself to me. It was hiding behind clouds and rain. I am here in Catania one day longer, on the one hand I wanted to drive to the Etna, which I can probably forget, the weather tomorrow will not be better than today and I have nothing dry more. On the other hand, I have to stroll I have only 133 km ahead of me until Wednesday. Why? Have only got there a ferry for my next stop. Liana I look forward to seeing you again. Thought in the off season it would be more hop-on/hop-off story. If not elections in Malta would be (on 26 March) and if not still due to storms the ferry service has been suspended for the time being. Well well with thunderstorms I also do not have to be on the high seas, really not, the 20 minutes on the ferry to Sicily were enough. Had therefore also a booking mess and in the meantime 5 tickets, at least booked. Now I have verified bookings and the rest are canceled. But this has also prompted me, contrary to my habits (I hate it, not to wait until the last moment, to set a schedule, so you can not still spontaneously throw everything over the pile), to make more ferry bookings and fix the course of the tour now. At least until the middle of April. Hope I have not miscalculated. What else was going on today? Wind, yes. But hard from the front, so no problem, just more pedaling and rain on 70 kilometers. Sometimes pouring, sometimes drizzling, sometimes pouring, sometimes from the side, sometimes from below. I was well wrapped, yet I was damp, mostly sweat, but in such a downpour, the water flows just times in the best gorecondom. But the good today? Finally minimum distance when overtaking. Honestly, on the streets the water stood downright, sometimes 15 cm high and as a stream down the road, and the dear drivers were very considerate with me today. Have not honked when I drove in the middle of the lane. In fact, you can not make out the potholes in the puddles, so it is better sometimes to keep distance from the edge. And on the other hand, they passed me very carefully, with the greatest possible distance (on the other side of the road). The puddle effect. Only a few times a car passed me without distance and checked my gorecondom for tightness. Sure SUVs. What do women who drive SUVs actually compensate for? Their decision to have married a man with a micropenis? But I am satisfied with my rainwear, the investment was worth it. Especially my feet. The socks are great, although they are damp (unfortunately that can not be avoided completely) they feel dry. Burner! It has poured so that the paths that my navi had suggested to me were actually streams or rivers (pictures). Have that taken into my own hands and I am the main road long, with midday at 2 o'clock taillight on. So bad was the visibility. Okay what else, so tomorrow I stay still in Catania, wanted actually with the bike on the Etna, I can forget, that should rain again similar and my clothes should dry (tonight i also have washed again, has slowly smelled and today came a lot of sweat and dirt in addition) to the other I am today down the stairs and have probably hurt my back (Of course!). So exactly it can be judged only tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Think in Catania you can also do something, probably eat well. There were fewer pictures today, it's always stupid when I have to open the gorecondom to dig out something, there is a lot of water when it pours, so I took few pictures today. So I'm pretty done, 100 km swimming is pretty exhausting, in this sense, good night and Putin: STOP WAR NOW!

Lost in Navigation Pt I (4 km in addition)

nice

stormy see

stormy

water break

Lost in Navigation Pt 2